Yankees Said Near Switch to WFAN for New York Radio Rights

The New York Yankees are close to a
broadcast agreement with CBS Corp. (CBS)’s WFAN, the radio home of the
New York Mets since 1987, according to a person with direct
knowledge of the negotiations.

The person was granted anonymity because the discussions
are private. Newsday reported the news today, saying the deal
would be worth more than $15 million annually starting in 2014.

The Yankees have been carried by another CBS-owned station,
WCBS, since 2002.

If an agreement is reached, the Yankees would replace the
Mets on WFAN, which has broadcast the National League team’s
games since before All-Star pitcher Matt Harvey was born.

Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo and Jay Horwitz, a spokesman
for the Mets, declined in e-mails to comment. Karen Mateo, a
spokeswoman for CBS Radio, declined to comment.

Winners of a Major League Baseball-record 27 World Series
titles, the Yankees’ previous radio agreement with WCBS expires
after this season.

WFAN premiered on July 1, 1987, as the first 24-hour, all-sports radio station, according to its website. It is also the
radio home of football’s New York Giants, hockey’s New Jersey
Devils and basketball’s Brooklyn Nets.